I love all the gospels, I guess, for a variety of reasons. The Gospel of Luke is special to me in this sense: His Gospel highlights Jesus’ concern for the meek and the lowly of our world. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about this or not, but consider these things… The Gospel begins by highlighting Jesus’ lowly position in society—born in a stable with a feeding trough for a crib… In Luke’s description of Jesus’ ministry, we find Jesus consistently concerned for the sinner—the outcast, the unclean, and...
One of the most delightful concepts in human experience is the idea of ‘home.’ Even the word ‘home’ suggests memories of rest, security, and the presence of those we love the most… I think back to some ‘homes’ that’ve meant a great deal to me. For whatever reason, I remember fondly the parsonage in South Wayne and enjoy taking my kids back to see it, to reminisce, and so forth. My brother and I had a bedroom window that overlooked the roof of the front porch. You can just imagine...
There is no greater witness for the Kingdom of God … than a life well-lived… But know this, as we begin today … the life that is well-lived, the life that is an incredible asset to the Kingdom of God, making an eternal difference … is not usually extraordinary! It is an ordinary life … committed to walk with God, to trust God, and to live in God’s ways… Way back on June 17, 1931, there was an ordinary boy born to a working-class family in Greensboro, North Carolina. His...
Rev. Carl Burnham, beloved pastor of the Chapel on Fir Hill in Akron, Ohio, wrote in 1962, just prior to his [death], ‘When I die, if my family wishes to inscribe anything on my gravestone, I would like it to be the promise of Jesus Christ in Hebrews 13:5, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”” For in due season the springtime will arrive…Then, when the resurrection sings itself in the robin’s glad song, and bursting buds defy the death grip of winter, and you walk upon the yielding...
Summer will soon be upon us. And for many of us, that’s when we plan time away with the family. Well, if we go on a vacation (a journey), we usually take time and plan, don’t we? And one of those very important things to take into consideration, when planning for a journey of any kind, is the cost… It costs to go on vacation (a journey), doesn’t it? And, here we find that ‘money matters’… In the same way, money is a very important part of our life journey...
